Politicians in the European Commission can receive free Viagra on their health insurance, the Sun has revealed.

The newspaper credits a member of the UK Independence Party, Marta Andreasen, with the discovery. "It is utterly bonkers what British taxpayers are funding for Eurocrats," the MP argued.

"Surely if they want these things, they should be able to pay themselves. It is a total waste of taxpayers' cash."

Official guidelines state that MEPs can receive reimbursement for a range of treatments and drugs. This includes impotence treatments, and even the heroin replacement drug, methadone. Last year it was revealed that MEPs receive funding for massages and feng shui, mud baths and electric shock treatment.

A spokesperson for the Taxpayers Alliance, Spokesman Matthew Sinclair said: "Taxpayers expect to see their money spent on providing essential services, not Viagra.”

The Sun reports that there are 736 MEPs and 25,000 European Commission staff who will now qualify for free Viagra and sex therapy on the taxpayer. Impotence can be caused by stress and high blood pressure, which some experts say could make politicians more prone to the condition.

There is aversion to Viagra being included in free health insurance in both the UK and in the USA. In the US, a school union in Milwaukee is currently fighting to have Viagra included on teachers’ health insurance plans. But the union has come under criticism from local governors, who argue they should be more concerned about job losses in schools.

Viagra was available on over half US health insurance policies within weeks of becoming available in 1998. This led to outrage among female employees that they could not get reimbursement for birth control medications.